Out of the Blue
by AlternativeRocker
Summary: The Doctor shows up at Kate's office in UNIT without any prior warning, just as usual. But she has no intention of being the happy companion that he expected on this day.


**Authors Note: **So 11/Kate is one of the most entertaining ships I've loved recently. Have quite a few ideas and needed to get them out, the others are probably a bit better than this. I want her back on the show so much!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything to do with the show or characters.

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"Ma'am, you have a visitor here."

Kate Stewart flicked through the calendar on her desk with the phone held in place on her shoulder by her cheek, positive she had not forgot any planned meetings. "I don't have any appointments today. Just send them away please."

"But he has a letter from your office, saying you are in need of his specialist help. He's a doctor if that helps?"

She let out a deep sigh, "Is he wearing a idiotic bow-tie?"

"Yes."

"Send him up." Her head was killing her, the migraine had appeared on her way to UNIT and she couldn't bear to see The Doctor right now. He had been on her mind ever since she had laid eyes on him in the Pond's house and she had tried her hardest to stop them manifesting into something greater but he was making it impossible.

When he entered the room he was met with the sternest glare he had seen from her since they first met. "Kate."

"So you used your psychic paper to disturb my day? Why?"

"I just thought I should drop in on my new favourite head of UNIT's science division, make sure you're coping and all that jazz."

"Is this going to become some sort of irritation for me; you appearing on my radar at times I least expect it? If you didn't know my father you would never have cared about me when we met."

"People tell me it gets like that however I hope it's not irritating, I was rather intending we would get on well." He dodged her statement about otherwise not caring because from the moment she had sauntered into Rory and Amy's house with hands deep in her trouser pockets he had taking an interest in her. Her family connection actually made his feelings more complicated as he felt it would be in some way wrong to have anything more than a brief association - maybe friendship at a push - with the Brigadier's daughter.

She was enchanting though. In the five trips he had made to visit her since the cube incident she had shown a whole lot more of her internal workings and in each new layer he found something else to like about her. Right down to the fact Kate hated coffee yet still drank it constantly as long as there was at least three sugars swimming in it.

Kate had told him how fascinating he was like most other people did who came into contact with him but she had only said it once or twice, most of the time she looked at him with a smile which he was not entirely sure of the reason behind it.

They would alternate between speaking in either her office or the TARDIS depending on how long she had been doing paperwork on that particular day or how much she simply wanted to escape from Earth. They had not gone on a Doctor-style journey with alien attacks or burning cities yet – she chose where she had always wanted to go, whether in history or not. She had already worked out that when he had a certain look on his face it would mean that the event or site she picked was a potential hazard and hastily thought of somewhere else.

His hand would occasionally find itself on the small of her back yet neither would mention it and he didn't remove it because they seemed to fit together in almost every way. Sometimes her hand brushed across his and they had to look anywhere except at the person they wanted to, and one of them quickly started to talk about a mission they had been a part of, reminding the other that they had both come up against monsters and enemies which were more important to both than any sort of emotion they were beginning to feel.

The main thing that irked The Doctor was when her mobile would ring. The beeping without fail would always make her leave to go back to work and as she had not let him know where she lived – and he was uncomfortable with following her – he only went to her during the times she was supposed to be doing her job. She would ask if he wished to accompany him in that polite, soft accent he was growing so used to but he refused time after time, pretending he was running late for some catastrophe and he swore each time he turned down her offer her face fell slightly.

Just as he was considering this her phone started its infernal alert.

"I was passing by and wondered if you would like to join me for a trip tomorrow." He could tell she was not in any sort of mood to go anywhere this afternoon so had not hesitated in changing day.

"I'll turn up late to here, that's what you want isn't it? Me to drop everything in favour of being with you in that box?!"

"What?"

"Doctor, I have been in charge here for a long time now, you don't have to make sure I can manage it! I can lead UNIT more or less in my sleep so don't bother being like this!... You shouldn't come back here." She had never sounded angry at him before and it was disconcerting. He didn't know what he had said or done to cause her to be like this.

Her heart was trying to fight against her head over that last statement; she wanted him to come back for her everyday but he never did. He had more interesting things to do with his time by the sound of his adventures alone and she was UNIT - she could not tell him not to go and save the Earth any longer.

"But I want to make sure you are okay."

"Why not just say that when you show up instead of making me believe you are here about my job?" Kate could barely keep the hurt out of her voice as she had been trying so hard not to let any of her feelings be shown whereas he had never even looked as though he cared about her in any way more than acquaintances who knew a lot about extraterrestrials.

"You are still a Lethbridge-Stewart even if you have taken out the first part, that's reason enough to be terrified."

She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands as the pounding in her temples took over, "You make everything so difficult."

"Does that mean I'm allowed to visit still?"

"Depends - if it's for UNIT then no, but for something else..."

"It won't be for UNIT, it will be for a member of its staff though. She may have to occasionally tell me when I'm interrupting a busy day, I can handle rejection."

"That woman doesn't need to be protected Doctor, sometimes she would like to see some action-filled scenes on your trips. As much as I - she - likes pretty historical buildings, aliens are still her favourite."

"Would the fair maiden like to see some of that today?"

"No. I just want to go home, take a few paracetamol and go to sleep if you don't mind."

"My box - as you so like to call her - is outside your house; maybe we could walk back and the fresh air might help a little." Kate didn't even say a word about him parking in her area when she nodded in agreement. She had not meant to get annoyed at him but it had got to the point where she was tired of not knowing where she stood with him, but now she was hopeful for at least something more than what they were during appearances like on this day.


End file.
